Green Hydrogen To Power First Zero Carbon Steel Plant
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on renews.biz.
This is the two introductory paragraphs.
A new industrial initiative, backed by EIT InnoEnergy, will build the world’s first large-scale steel production plant powered by green hydrogen, in north Sweden.
The H2 Green Steel industrial initiative, which will mobilise €2.5bn of investment, aims to deliver a project that will create a new green steel producer from inception.
These further points are made.
- There will be downstream steel products manufacture.
- The initiative will create 10,000 direct and indirect jobs.
- Production could start in 2024.
- Up to five million tonnes of steel could be produced by 2030.
The plant will be built in the Boden-Lulea area of Northern Sweden.
Note.
H2 Green Steel has a web site, which explains more.
What About Scunthorpe?
Surely, the obvious location for green steel production plant in the UK would be Scunthorpe.
- The HumberZero network can bring in hydrogen and take away any carbon dioxide.
- The steelworks makes world-class products like railway rails.
- It is a massive site.
- The site has good rail access.
But there don’t seem to be any plans for hydrogen steelmaking at Scunthorpe.
Conclusion
I hope we’ve not missed the boat for hydrogen steelmaking.
- We’ve certainly got the sites, the renewable energy and the hydrogen technology.
- On the other hand, I can remember sensible arguments for lots of much smaller steel plants from fifty years ago, as an alternative to nationalisation of the steel industry by the Wilson Government in 1967.
- I can also remember proposals for nuclear steelmaking.
I just wonder, if a design of hydrogen steelmaking plant could be developed, perhaps even using a small modular nuclear reactor to generate the hydrogen.
If we are going to have a steel industry in the future, we must do something radical.
Cowper Street Entrance To Old Street Station – 21st February 2021
These pictures show the start of the works to create the new Cowper Street entrance to Old Street station.
Note the large frame, which had been delivered the previous day.
This map from Transport for London shows the future layout.
The Cowper Street entrance will be in the South-East corner of the roundabout. The map says it will have stepped-access only.
This TfL image is a visualisation of the entrance.
I wonder if it should be step-free with a lift, as walking across to the lift in the centre, could be some way in bad weather.
A Slight Problem With Covid-19 Vaccination
I had my first AZ vaccine five weeks ago. I have had a slight allergic reaction around the injection spot, as I did with a pneumococcal injection a few months ago.
I am coeliac on a long term gluten-free diet, which means my immune system is probably very strong. Peer-reviewed research at Nottingham University has shown that coeliacs on this diet, do have a 25 % less chance of getting cancer.
I’m no medic, but do sponsor cancer research, and like many I suspect, I am very familiar with how the AZ vaccine uses viral-vector techniques. I suspect my immune system could be reacting to the carrier.
I suspect, we’ll see a few problems like this and some other more serious problems, but I’m fairly sure they can be solved. I might be better with an mRNA vaccine.
DHL Teams With Volvo Trucks To Speed Up Transition To Fossil-Free Trucking
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on CleanTechnica.
This is the introductory paragraph.
Electric buses, electric garbage trucks, and even electric construction equipment are becoming more and more commonplace in urban landscapes, but there’s still some debate over whether or not battery electric vehicles will take over open-road, long distance trucking any time soon. To help make the case that electric trucking is the way forward, DHL Freight and Volvo Trucks have partnered to speed up the introduction of heavy duty electric trucks to be used for regional transport throughout Sweden.
Read the article and see what you think.
The author takes the view that electric trucks may be able to handle heavy duty road transport and that would sideline expensive fuel cell trucks powered by hydrogen.
This is a paragraph.
If it’s successful, the move to battery electric trucking could be one of the final nails in the coffin of expensive hydrogen fuel cell projects like Nikola Trucks and Volvo’s own recently acquired Daimler truck division.
I am not so sure, that he is right!
Recently, I wrote Holyhead Hydrogen Hub Planned For Wales and Felixstowe And Harwich Ports Submit Bid For ‘Freeport’ Status, where hydrogen hubs are proposed at the posts of Holyhead and Felixstowe.
- This is a distance of 335 miles.
- As trucks average 55 mph on motorways and dual carriageways, this journey would take six hours.
- Six hours is the maximum time a truck driver can work without a break.
- Tesla have said that their battery Semi Truck will have a range of 300 or 500 miles.
I feel that this rough calculation shows that both electric and hydrogen trucks could handle the Felixstowe and Holyhead route.
- With the battery truck, the weight and size of the battery would probably reduce the payload.
- Factors like cost of ownership, payload and drivers hours would probably play a big part in the choice.
- Trucks would need to be refuelled at the start of the journey, if they’d just come off a ferry.
- On Tesla’s figures, recharging a battery truck would take thirty minutes.
Once we start looking at practical journeys like say Cologne and Dublin, if you want to do it with one truck, it has to be hydrogen.
But a container between Felixstowe and Holyhead could probably be handled by an electric truck.
If you look at between Dover and Holyhead, that is 370 miles and at 55 mph, it would take almost seven hours. So the driver would need a break.
Conclusion
There will need to be extensive modelling to decide, what type of truck is best for a particular route, operator and cargo.
Daimler’s Philosophy
In Daimler Trucks Presents Technology Strategy For Electrification – World Premiere Of Mercedes-Benz Fuel-Cell Concept Truck, I examined Daimler’s strategy for hydrogen and electric trucks.
This is a summary of their philosophy.
- Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck, a fuel-cell truck with a range of up to 1,000 kilometres and more for flexible and demanding long-haul transport – customer trials in 2023, start of series production in second half of this decade.
- Mercedes-Benz eActros LongHaul, a battery-electric truck with a range of about 500 kilometres for energy-efficient transport on plannable long-haul routes – projected to be ready for series production in 2024.
- Mercedes-Benz eActros, a battery-electric truck with a range of well over 200 kilometres for heavy urban distribution to go into series production in 2021.
Note.
- 500 kilometres is 310 miles,
- The Mercedes-Benz eActros LongHaul will be able to handle Dover or Felixstowe and Holyhead with a thirty minute driver break/battery charge somewhere in the Midlands.
- The Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck will be able to handle Dover or Felixstowe and Holyhead without refuelling.
- The Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck will be able to handle a 620 mile out-and-back journey from Dover or Felixstowe without refuelling. This would allow journeys to Birmingham, Derby, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham and Sheffield
The flexibility built into Daimler’s philosophy is probably a sensible approach and ideal for truck journeys from Dover and Felixstowe.
Daimler would appear to have done a lot of modelling.
There’s Gold In Them There Hills
And lots of other things too!
Since the 1950s, there has always been talk of a mining revival in the UK.
This article on Proactive Investors is entitled The Great British Mining Revival Is Needed Now More Than Ever.
Sixteen mining companies are listed.
Malta Inc Energy Storage Explained
Malta Inc first came to my notice in 2018 and I wrote Gates Among Billionaires Backing Alphabet Energy Spinoff.
But I couldn’t find much information at the time, but they now have a web site that gives a good explanation.
This page on the web site is entitled Our Solution.
This infographic from the web page, lays out the key features.
This sentence outlines the method of operation.
The Malta energy storage system takes electricity, converts and stores that electricity as heat, and then converts it back to electricity to be redistributed on the electric grid. In charge mode, the system operates as a heat pump, storing electricity as heat in molten salt. In discharge mode, the system operates as a heat engine, using the stored heat to produce electricity.
The operation is explained in five stages.
- Collects – Energy is gathered from wind, solar, or fossil generators on the grid as electrical energy and sent to Malta’s energy storage system.
- Converts – The electricity drives a heat pump, which converts electrical energy into thermal energy by creating a temperature difference.
- Stores – The heat is then stored in molten salt, while the cold is stored in a chilled liquid.
- Reconverts – The temperature difference is converted back to electrical energy with a heat engine.
- Distributes – Electricity is sent back to the grid when it is needed.
Note.
- The operation of the system is based on well-understood thermodynamic principles.
- Entergy is stored as both heat and cold.
- It provides several hours of energy storage.
- Systems are built using standard components, that are readily available.
In some ways the Malta Inc PHES is based on similar principles to Highview Power’s CRYOBattery and Siemens Gamesa’s ETES.
Conclusion
This is a company to watch, as they seem to have got the technology right.
Luton DART Fly Through
This video does what it says in the title.
It certainly looks like the DART will greatly improve the experience of getting to Luton Airport.
Cardiff Bridge Avoids £40m Demolition Thanks To Electric Resistant Paint
When I first saw this headline on this press release on the Network Rail web site, I felt it sounded too good to be true.
This is the introductory paragraph.
In a world first, electric resistant paint combined with voltage-controlled clearance (VCC) has helped make a Victorian railway bridge usable by new electric trains, avoiding weeks of passenger disruption and train delays in the process.
I think this is the bridge.
Note.
- The South Wales Main Line runs East-West, with Cardiff Central station to the West.
- The track between Cardiff Queen Street and Cardiff Bay stations runs North-South, with Cardiff Queen Street station to the North.
- The two rail lines cross over a canal.
- The site is surrounded by new high-rise buildings.
- The clearance been the bridge and the main line underneath appeared to be too tight for electrification to be fitted.
But by using the combination of technologies, as stated in the introductory paragraph, Network Rail were able to squeeze the wires through, which didn’t need the bridge to be demolished and rebuilt on a tricky site.
I can see that railways and other places, where high-voltage cables are close to metal structures, will be able to find lots of uses for Southampton University’s “Magic Paint”
The Pedestrian Tunnels In Bank Station
Growing up in London in the 1950s, I was always intrigued by the escalator connection between Bank and Monument stations, shown on the tube map.
The connection opened in the 1930s, but I can’t remember using it until recently.
It is not shown on the latest map.
The combined Bank and Monument stations now have lots of tunnels and some will be affected by the works to extend the station.
Arriving On The DLR
These pictures show arriving on the DLR and taking the route up the escalator to the Central, Northern and Waterloo and City Lines.
Note.
- Once at the top of the escalator, the Central, Northern and Waterloo and City Lines are accessed by more tunnels.
- The tunnel, that used to run between the two platforms appears to be closed off at the moment.
- Could the Northern end be being turned into an information point?
Access To The Central Line
This visualisation shows the current and future access to the Central Line.
Note.
- The two fat curved grey tunnels on the left are the Central Line.
- The straighter one on the left is the Eastbound tunnel, with East at the top.
- The curved one is the Westbound tunnel.
- The tunnel facing us, between the Central Line tunnels is the triple escalator barrel from the entrance under Bank junction.
- Just visible underneath it is the spiral staircase that connects to the Northern Line.
- A new triple escalator will connect the Central Line platforms down to the main North-South travelator.
- Above the new escalators is the current connection between the Central Line platforms and the DLR.
These pictures show the connection between the Central and Northern Lines via the spiral staircase.
Note that once down the spiral staircase, the passage is level.
Northern Access To The Northern Line Platforms
Currently, there are two staircases down from the lobby, where both the previous routes end to the Northern Line platforms.
This visualisation shows the Northern ends of the current Northern Line platforms.
Note.
- North is to the left.
- The two tracks and the narrow island platform of the current Northern Line on the far side of the visualisation.
- The two staircases leading up from Northern Line to a lobby, where passengers can walk North to the Central Line.
- The double escalator barrel going down to the DLR.
- The three cross passages linking the DLR escalators to the lobby between the Central and Northern Lines.
- The most Southerly of these cross passages has a lift to the DLR.
These pictures show the two staircases leading up from the Northern Line platforms.
Other pictures show, top of the stairs, the lobby and the current state of the Southbound platform.
After completion of the upgrade, the following works will have been done.
- The Southbound track will be filled in.
- The Northbound platform will be extended over the former Southbound track and platform, to make a very wide platform.
- The doors in the tunnel walls will become cross passages to the new Southbound platform about thirty metres to the West, the triple bank of escalators to the new Cannon Street entrance, escalators to the DLR and the travelator to the Central Line.
What will happen to the two short staircases?
At present they lead up to lobby with passages to the DLR and the Central and Waterloo & City Lines and the lifts.
- It all depends on how much, they will be used with so many new routes in the station.
- They could be refurbished, with perhaps one for up and one for down.
- They could be shut off.
There certainly is space for wide staircases, leading down to the very wide single platform.
I think they should be kept to please the duckers-and-divers.
From The Northern Line Platforms To Monument Station
This is the original 1930s escalator connection between the Northern Line at Bank station and the District and Circle Lines at Monument station.
Note.
- Judging by the two sets of blue hoardings, there will be some extra passages connection to this route.
- The escalator is surprisingly long.
I do wonder, if this route might tend to be sidelined, as many passengers will find the new Cannon Street entrance quicker.
From Monument Station To The DLR
These pictures show going between Monument station And The DLR.
Note.
- Except at the DLR end, there is no blue hoardings hiding the construction work.
- The tunnel between the two platforms is blocked off.
- At the DLR rnd, both platforms can be accessed.
It strikes me that after the completion of the expansion of Bank station, this tunnel will be substantially the same.
The Earth’s Energy: Switching Geothermal Power On
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Power magazine.
This must-read article talks about the awakening of geothermal power, which even featured in Rolling Stone magazine last year.
This is a paragraph of the article.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) lists a number of benefits offered by geothermal resources. Among them is that geothermal energy can provide baseload power, regardless of weather conditions. Geothermal power plants are also generally compact, using less land per GWh (404 m2) than coal (3,642 m2), wind (1,335 m2), or solar photovoltaic (3,237 m2) power plants, according to a study cited by the DOE.
The dinosaur brigades, who feel renewable power is only an intermittent source and a total waste of money, are always going on about baseload power. So could geothermal provide it?
The article also talks about Chevron and BP investing $40 million in Eavor Technologies, a Canadian geothermal company. This is said of their investment.
Big Oil is an especially important partner for the geothermal industry because “not only do they bring money and motivation,” Redfern said, they bring expertise “in global operations and project management, and knowledge of the subsurface and how you mitigate risks.”
It sounds like sensible diversification to me for Big Oil. It’s a bit like INEOS diversifying into hand-sanitiser during the pandemic, as they make the stuff and only needed to add a bottling plant. If you have the expertise use it!
This paragraph sums up how we bring geothermal to the world by drilling deeper.
To truly unlock the potential of geothermal energy, the industry must develop better drilling techniques that can “mine heat at much deeper depths,” said Vinod Khosla, an entrepreneur, investor, and co-founder of Sun Microsystems. Today, geothermal companies typically drill to depths of about five kilometers at most. “If we [can] go to 15 to 20 kilometers … then we will have limitless heat everywhere on the planet, or most places on the planet, with geothermal. And that would expand the market for geothermal 100-fold,” said Khosla, who describes himself as being “very, very bullish on geothermal.”
Khosla believes that new drilling techniques will get us to these awesome depths and has put his money, where his mouth is.
Read the article.
The Anonymous Widower 